North Yorkshire Police have announced a shake up of their structures in York and the rest of the county.

They claim that their main aim is to use technology to increase the time that Police officers and PCSOs spend on the streets.

If it does that then it will get a lot of support from residents.

In surveys that we have conducted recently, some residents have pointed to a reduced patrolling profile for the Police compared to 3 years ago.

The Police will also need to review their communications strategy.

Most residents – while welcoming the use of Twitter, Facebook and the like to provide information quickly – prefer to get a briefing leaflet through their letterbox. This used to be done using joint newsletters with the local Council but this seems to have petered out. Neighbourhood Watch schemes have been unable to fill the information gap in most of west York.

The detailed proposals for policing in York are still unclear.

The Police statement talks of reducing the number of neighbourhood policing teams in the City from 3 to 2. Provided the Sergeants and Inspectors are easy to contact and take time to get out in the community that may not matter.

The last thing that we need is more managers sat in Fulford Road.

The Police should operate out of local community centres and schools whenever possible.

All in all, with a consultation on the future of crime and policing in the City not due to finish until 15th June, the announcement seems a little premature and leaves a lot of unanswered questions